


Those nights when you crave someone

by moondust_jeno



Category: The Wayhaven Chronicles (Interactive Fiction)
Genre: M/M, One Shot, Polyamory, The Wayhaven Chronicles, Wayhaven, angst kinda, twc
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-28
Updated: 2021-01-28
Packaged: 2021-03-14 07:14:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,581
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29042199
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moondust_jeno/pseuds/moondust_jeno
Summary: Jonah is touch-starved and it leads to a misunderstanding
Relationships: Male Detective/Adam du Mortain, Male Detective/Adam du Mortain/Nathaniel "Nate" Sewell, Male Detective/Nathaniel "Nate" Sewell
Kudos: 9





	Those nights when you crave someone

**Author's Note:**

> Title is a song by Bastille and this was inspired by a prompt I got on tumblr

“Did you see that!” There's a groan followed by the sound of a door slamming inside the room. “He's friendlier with _you_ than he is with me! And he's not slick! He thinks I don't see him giving you pets when you two are alone and when he discreetly winks at you. I may not be the smartest but I'm not blind!”

Adam can hear the bedsheets ruffling as Jonah lets himself fall down on the mattress. He can also distinguish the clicking of Bo's paws against the wooden floors until the sound disappears. He can almost picture them: Jonah laying on his back, petting the black dog laying on his stomach and paying extreme attention to his owner. 

“Bo, it's not fair. You get more affection from that broody vampire than I do. You're so lucky, you know that? All I'm asking for is a smile once in a while, or maybe that he holds my hand. And not one of those brushing of hands which seem to be his specialty! A real hand holding, with our fingers intertwined, and his thumb drawing circles on the side of my hand…” There is a silence as Jonah’s heartbeat fastens at the thought. Adam is hanging to Jonah's lips, waiting for him to continue. “I'm not asking for a kiss or even a hug, I think he's not ready for that. Don't look at me like that, I just think we aren't close enough yet for that and I don't want to scare him away or do anything he’d be uncomfortable with. I know, I know! You probably think I'm crazy, but I'd just like a little reminder from time to time that this isn't all unrequited feelings. I know he needs time, Adam was very clear about that, and I can’t blame him, but it'd be nice once in a while…” Jonah doesn’t end his sentence. “It's like he's scared I'm going to break if he touches me…”

Adam can hear the sigh that follows those words.

“And Nate! Everything is easier with him, but there's something wrong and I can't pinpoint what it is… You'd tell me if you knew what it was, right Bo? I know I can't force him to talk about things he doesn't want to talk about, but I wish he'd be comfortable enough to tell me. I'm not going to judge him, he knows that, right?” There is a whimper coming from Bo and Adam can’t help a smile. “I know you know, but does  _ he _ know? It's just everything has been going so well with Nate and I'm scared it'll blow up in my face at some point, just like it did with Bobby…”

Jonah's voice is barely more than a whisper now and Adam can feel the detective's heart quickening and his breath getting ragged. He can sense Bo getting agitated. 

“I know it's stupid, because they're not like him, they're nothing like Bobby, but I can't help it Bo…” Jonah's voice breaks upon those words as Bo starts whimpering. “I can't help…but think this happiness I'm feeling...right now...is going to burst one day and...that they won't need me anymore…” 

The speech is interspersed with Jonah’s sobs and Bo’s whimpers and Adam wants to burst inside the room. He wants to hold Jonah in his arms, tell him that they're not like that reporter, that they'll never have enough of him. He wants to tell Jonah how much he loves him. But instead he stays right there. Frozen on the spot, his hand still on the door knob. His heart breaking a bit more with each muffled sob he can hear through the door. Until a tear rolls down his own cheek. 

What an idiot he had been. He was so caught up in his own feelings that he never considered Jonah's feelings. He was so preoccupied by trying to keep his heart safe that he didn't notice Jonah's heart crumbling with every comment he made. He hadn't been able to notice Jonah's confidence slowly collapsing with every effort Adam made to keep his distance with him. He had tried to protect the detective and yet he did the exact opposite. 

"Adam? What are you doing here?" 

Adam turns his face but he can barely see who is talking to him through the tears that are gathering in his eyes. But he doesn't have time to blink that Nate is already by his side. 

"What happened?" Nate's voice is soft, soothing, and yet Adam's heart shatters to pieces in his chest. 

"I hurt him Nate… I hurt him…"

*******

Adam has been staring at him for a few minutes already when Jonah finally notices the sound of Adam’s pencil has stopped and that he has taken his eyes off the report he was filling. The vampire doesn’t even notice Jonah is staring back.

“Adam, is there something wrong?” Jonah asks. 

“Why are you so different when you’re with Nate and when you’re with me?” The words that have been stuck in his head, since he heard the detective venting to Bo finally found a way out. 

The detective’s eyes widen. He didn’t expect such a blunt question coming from his boyfriend. Once the surprise has gone away, he stands up and takes his chair to sit in front of Adam. He lets his hand lay palm facing the ceiling so that Adam can take it if he feels the need to. 

“What do you mean?”

“This-” He lifts Jonah’s hand that he is now holding. “If you were with Nate, you would have simply taken his hand. And it's just not the hand…” Adam's expression saddens as the words come out of his mouth. “We’re both your boyfriends so why do you act so differently around us?”

“Because you're not Nate. Just like Nate isn't you. Because you are you, Adam.” Jonah moves even closer, he is almost kneeling, trying to catch Adam's fleeting gaze. “Adam please look at me…” he pleads. He is used to Adam looking away but this is different. It's as if Adam can't bear looking at him. Reaching up, Jonah lifts up his boyfriend's chin so that their eyes would finally meet. “You are both very different persons, Adam. I think you know that.” Jonah can’t help the smile that lifts the corner of his lips. “The way you express your feelings, the way you express love, this is unique to you, just like your needs are solely yours. But because I act differently around you doesn't mean I love you less,  _ mon amour _ .”

Those last two words are nothing but a whisper against Adam's skin as Jonah softly presses his lips on the vampire's knuckles yet Adam can feel each vibration reverberating in him, right to his heart that pounded loudly in his chest. 

“But I never asked you to stop being yourself. I said I needed time, not that I didn't want you to be affectionate with me, and I'm sorry if I made you feel that way.” There is nothing in the vampire's words that betrays how pained he is that Jonah isn't feeling at ease around him. And yet the human can feel how genuine he is when Adam squeezes his hand. "I've had centuries to get accustomed to Nate's presence. This-” Adam gestures towards the empty space between them. “-what we have. This is new and I'm still trying to figure you out, so forgive me if I make mistakes. I'm thankful for you trying to make me at ease, but it shouldn't be to your expense. I'm not scared of you breaking if I touch you, I'm scared of my heart swelling when you touch me."

It takes Jonah a few seconds to realize what Adam said and he can feel the blemish taking over his face as he stands up. 

"You listened to me? You weren't supposed to hear that…" He rubs a hand over his face and pinches the bridge of his nose. "What did you hear? Is it what this is all about? You overheard a piece of my mind and thought you needed to apologize for having boundaries? Adam, for fuck's sake… I don't want you to apologize for being yourself and needing time…"

"But I hurt you."

"What? No. You didn't. Yes, I was touch-starved. Did I get over it? Yes! But did you hurt me? No! Think about it that way: it's like when you break stuff when you're pissed. I vent to Bo when I'm frustrated. That's all."

"But it's not just that…" Adam admitted. 

"Oh no… you heard the Bobby part, didn't you?" 

Adam nods. 

"I'll explain everything one day, I promise-" Jonah says as he sits back down in front of Adam." -but not today…"

Adam doesn't ask for more. They all have haunting memories so he cannot blame the detective for wanting to keep them buried a little while longer. Instead Adam reaches up to push a strand of hair behind Jonah's ear, there's a moment of hesitation before the detective leans into the touch. Adam pulls away slowly, his fingers grazing along Jonah's jaw. 

"Was there anything else you wanted to talk about?" As Adam shakes his head no, Jonah adds: "Then we should get back to work."

"One last thing-" Adam grabs the human's hand before he gets out of reach. "-brushing of hands aren't my only specialty…" Adam says as he intertwines his fingers with Jonah's.


End file.
